Bimal Gurung: Keeping the faith

Darjeeling, June 29: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to organise a series of all-faith meetings in the hills from July 7 to strengthen the demand for Gorkhaland.

The decision was taken after members of minority communities met the party’s central committee leaders, including its president Bimal Gurung, today.

“The meeting will start at Chowrastha in Darjeeling from July 7. Each community will also take turn to hold prayer meetings,” said D.K. Pradhan, a central committee member of the Morcha.

Some churches in Darjeeling have already started organising prayer meetings in support of Gorkhaland, said sources.

“We have decided to hold such congregations because we, too, want peace in the region. But this is a part of our agitation as well,” Pradhan said.

Surya Man Lepcha, the chief adviser to the Lepcha Youth Association in Darjeeling, said: “Bimal Gurung has told us that he would let us know the schedule of the meetings in a couple of days. Members of all minority groups and faiths were present at today’s meeting.”

Apart from the All Gorkha Minority Forum, members of the Rai, Newar, Bhutia communities as well as representatives of Christians and Muslims attended the meeting.

A team of four youths from the Darjeeling hills has started a signature campaign across the country to create awareness on the need for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Gyanendra Aryal, Bishal Rai, Hari Singh Sinha and Prabhaskar Mainali started the campaign from Delhi today.

“We organised a signature campaign at Jantar Mantar in Delhi today. The central committee members of the Morcha were present at the venue. A large number of students from Sikkim, the Northeast, Dehra Dun and other places took part,” Aryal said over phone from Delhi.

The team is expected to travel to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra, among other states.

“We are not sure how long it will take, but we will try to cover as many states as possible before finally ending our campaign in Calcutta. We will then send the banners containing the signature to both the Bengal government and the Centre,” added Aryal.

GNLF chief Subash Ghisingh today removed the Morcha flag strung up on the roof of his house and handed it over to police.